SAE Update - January 2022 - 4

SAE NEWS
Blockchain can save lives
chains. I am particularly referring to
applications in aftermarket parts and
provenance. Few things are more assuring
than an unbroken, inviolable, and
universally auditable chain of records that
track the lifecycle history of even a small
part from its birth (manufacturing) till say,
its 1000th use case.
This can also address the supply chain
issues facing many industries today
because if all entities and individuals know
that no part of the supply chain can be
tampered with, it will inspire confidence
among all players to invest more into
higher-capacity production, distribution,
and maintenance infrastructure.
Streamlining of supply chains and the
global orchestration required to ensure the
right goods reach the right markets at the
right time at the right cost are dependent
on every element of the chain operating
seamlessly with the elements that precede
and follow it. Value leakages arising from
spurious or poorly controlled components
would practically disappear if the supply
chain is built on a trustworthy blockchain
network. This will lead to increasing
standardization, which will yield
substantial benefits in both economies of
scale and reliability.
When we eliminate the need for humans
or even computers to maintain disparate
records of a component's cradle-to-grave
lifecycle, we bring in total transparency, in
the form of an ever-present and everauditable
real-time history of every
4 January 2022
component in the supply chain. What
causes unscheduled repairs and even
accidents are the weakest links in the entire
supply chain. Whether that weakest link is
a simple O-ring, an AOA sensor, an
electrical battery component, or the
hundreds of hinges and rivets, lifecycle
matters...a lot. Ensuring every component
stays well within its MTBF window, and
recognizing the geometrical progression
risks of complex systems, is key to ensuring
not a single life is lost. Knowing the entire
lifecycle of each component (from
ingredient BOM in manufacturing to its
millionth use nearing its end)-all of which
is available to all the stakeholders-
provides a level of safety that is
unmatched in the history of civil aviation
and passenger automobiles.
At SAE International, we believe safety is
non-negotiable and not a platform to
compete on. Every automotive vehicle
(whether it moves on land, water, or in the
air) must have unquestionable safety
credentials. We have over 10,000
standards dedicated to safety across all
mobility platforms. To us, blockchain is not
just a 'cool' technology for fintech, but an
essential one with farther-reaching
implications that promises heretofore
unrealized potential for safety in the entire
mobility sector.
Realizing that potential for the benefit of
humanity is what we see as a real
advancement in mobility knowledge and
solutions. That should inspire all of us. n
UPDATE
SAE Update - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAE Update - January 2022
